Giants, Athletics fans join forces for ‘Unite The Bay’ protest

Jul 25, 2023, 8:26 PM

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 25: Oakland Athletics fans stand and chant in the top of the fifth inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 25, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Fans were chanting in protest to the team's potential relocation to Las Vegas. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

BY FRANKIE CARTOSCELLI

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

While nearly 30,000 fans packed Oracle Park to watch a baseball game between two Bay Area rivals, those in attendance displayed camaraderie on Tuesday night,

As the deal to relocate the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas, Nevada, continues to pick up steam, fans of both Oakland and the San Francisco Giants put on a joint display with a similar message to A’s owner John Fisher, an echo of June 13th’s reverse boycott game at the Coliseum:

Sell the team.

The reverse boycott that took place last month featured a season-high 28,000 fans in attendance at Oakland Coliseum, with most wearing green shirts with big block letters across that read “SELL.”

On Tuesday, the Oakland 68’s–the same group that ordered and prepared thousands of shirts for the reverse boycott–arrived for the Battle of the Bay Series with more shirts to hand out. This time, Giants and A’s fans lined up outside Oracle Park to hand out black “SELL” shirts and cheer cards.

The Black SELL shirts drew a big crowd. #UniteTheBay pic.twitter.com/5vct2QpsH0

— Casey Pratt (@CaseyPrattABC7) July 25, 2023

#SFGiants employees are helping us pass out Cheer cards here at South Beach Park #UniteTheBay pic.twitter.com/R1ocI9MgH1

— Gabriel Hernandez (@gamer_athletics) July 25, 2023

Posters that read “Unite The Bay” were handed out underneath an image of a San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics player shaking hands over the Bay Bridge.

Although the A’s and Giants have been local rivals for over 50 years, even facing off in the 1989 World Series, Tuesday’s showcase made it clear that there is mutual respect between these two fanbases.

Whether it be a “SELL” shirt, cheer cards with chant instructions, or a Unite The Bay poster, tens of thousands of Bay Area baseball fans packed Oracle Park to make it clear that the San Francisco-Oakland community wants the A’s to remain in Northern California.

The Oakland 68’s announced on Tuesday that their next protest will occur on Saturday, August 5th, when the Giants travel across the San Francisco Bay to play a two-game set at the Coliseum.

Here are some sights and sounds from tonight’s joint protest by Athletics and Giants fans:

A’s and Giants fans unite in a fan-organized "Sell the Team" chant at Oracle Park pic.twitter.com/Lw0ZytRlcd

— NBC Sports Bay Area & CA (@NBCSAuthentic) July 26, 2023

#UnitetheBay #SellTheTeam pic.twitter.com/fH7P0EMrQa

— Kirsten Moran-Kellar (@kirstenlizmoran) July 26, 2023

John Fisher, Sell The Team #UniteTheBay pic.twitter.com/O6ngyyCNwi

— Gabriel Hernandez (@gamer_athletics) July 26, 2023

The SELL the team chants started before the people in the cheering section even started the chant. Tells ya something. #UniteTheBay pic.twitter.com/K5LaxcZbKe

— Casey Pratt (@CaseyPrattABC7) July 26, 2023

Giants fans join in on “Sell the team!” chants supporting A’s against owner John Fisher’s plan to move the franchise to Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/SECRhQ6jtM

— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) July 26, 2023